Dealership employee pleads guilty to theft

An Exeter woman pleaded guilty Thursday morning to stealing more than $50,000 while employed as a part-time cashier at Wyoming Valley BMW in Kingston.

Briana E. Tavaglione, 22, entered the plea to a single count of theft in front of Luzerne County Judge Tina Polachek Gartley.

Arrest papers say Tavaglione stole about $52,500 between May 2013 and October 2013 by performing unauthorized refund transactions. Tavaglione refunded the money to her checking account in 17 transactions, police said.

As part of the plea, Tavaglione must pay restitution, Gartley ruled.

Gartley set sentencing for Aug. 11 at 9 a.m.

Investigators said Steven P. Ubaldini, the vice president and owner of Wyoming Valley BMW, reported the thefts on Nov. 4, 2013. Tavaglione soon met with detectives and admitted to the thefts, police said.

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